Agile methodologies have evolved to permit different teams to manage and work together for the proper execution of software creation and programming process.  This evolution eases the final delivery of each software product.  Likewise, it incorporates all the possible changes that occur in the meantime. Hence, agile product development has become an essential part of any software and apps development process.

Agile Product Development Defined

Agile Product Development is the latest hot term related to software product development.  It has been used across technologies and worldwide.  We see with the evolution of this terminology; it has become the most important part of product development in many areas.  Therefore, it is rare for a product to be developed without using the agile process.  The concept of Agile development has existed for a long time but was not an essential part of the development method. Agile methodologies of product development are currently booming and play an important role in the software product development cycle.

Clearing Up The Buzz and Confusion

There is still a lot of confusion on what “agile methodology” is and how it is used during design and product development.  We will review an illustration of this to help provide clarity.

In agile development, the traditional process of product development goes through cycles or iterations. It produces continuous delivery in some cases but at least delivers regular releases.  The standard requirements of SDLC fall into various roles.

  • A Development team implements requirements for regular release.
  • The testing team manages the cross-testing of all functional activities.
  • An Analysis team plans to deliver a product in a time deadline rather than making specifications.

Agile is a methodology for the production of software products.  It hits the essential parts of software development with a focus on delivering working software. The process allows for rapid development while staying flexible so changes can be incorporated as the process proceeds.

Expanding The Field

As products evolve and technology becomes pervasive, there are other areas where agile product development is useful beyond software.  Mechanical and electronic hardware products are two good examples.

As we observe and see the mechanical engineering product development process, it frequently faces inadequacy.  An example is when the mechanical product in development has a requirement of adding any new feature.  With Agile, we can, at that moment, make changes to a product.  However, in this process, it is hard to track the actual growth of progress after adding any new features at the delivery time.

As more electronic hardware and software are incorporated into traditional mechanical products, manufacturers seek better ways to integrate designs across engineering disciplines. As a result, many design and development practices are starting to cross boundaries. One such initiative involves applying agile methodologies to mechanical designHealth Fitness Articles, electrical design, and broader product development.

Rob Broadhead

Rob is a founder of, and frequent contributor to, Develpreneur. This includes the Building Better Developers podcast. He is also a lifetime learner as a developer, designer, and manager of software solutions. Rob is the founder of RB Consulting and has managed to author a book about his family experiences and a few about becoming a better developer. In his free time, he stays busy raising five children (although they have grown into adults). When he has a chance to breathe, he is on the ice playing hockey to relax or working on his ballroom dance skills.

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